Page 46 of Their World

Mason scoffed. “Have you met her? Do you know how difficult that is when she runs into the arms of demon kings?”

Jol laughed and Mason relaxed against me, but kept his arm around my chest.

“The necklace,” I explained, “we think the Grand Advisor is using it as a mirror of sorts, a way to listen and or watch me. That’s why I left it outside.”

“Oh, that’s what your parents meant,” he said and nodded.

“It’s possible there are other items, but I can’t sense them or tell you what to look for.”

“I will try to search on my own, thank you for the knowledge,” he said.

“Where is my dad?” I asked.

“He and Dhun are exploring the world, trying to find other water sources and anything to expose the lies the Grand Advisor has been feeding us,” he explained. “Don’t worry about your mom, she’s not in a real cell, but we’ve got to keep up appearances for the ruse we’re playing. I had her on the platform to rally my people a bit, to keep them and the Grand Advisor thinking we’re still going to have the battle.”

“Should I go back?” I asked. “Back to my world?”

He reached out and took my hand. “I would prefer you to stay.”

Mason growled again and the deep rumble vibrated against my back, making me smirk.

“How can I help with the ruse?” I asked.

“He’ll need to pretend to be a true bird,” Jol said and tilted his chin at my shoulder at Mason. “You’ll have to become my prisoner.”

Mason growled again.

Turning to look at him over my shoulder, I said, “You sure have been growling a lot lately.”

“Says the woman doing things to make him growl.” Jol laughed and released my hand. With a sigh he said, “It would be better for you to return to your world, even if I would rather you be here.”

“I’m worried about the time differences,” I said. “I think it has something to do with the Grand Advisor’s memory altering.”

“That could be,” Jol said with a nod.

“How will we know when to come back if we leave?” I whispered. “What if we stayed hidden, in our animal forms, instead?”

He shook his head. “We believe he is able to use something to enhance his abilities and anyone who is here is affected, whether he speaks to them or not.”

Sighing, I ran a hand down my face. “Of course it’s not that simple.”

“Doesn’t that mean he knows we’re here now?” Mason asked. “Should we leave before he comes here?”

“Let me show you what we brought,” I said and set the bag on the coffee table and opened it fully.

Mason helped me pull the items out and set them on his dresser next to the items his people had given him.

My eyes widened when I saw the candy bar inside.

Mason muttered, “It used to be your favorite candy bar.”

Kissing his cheek I said, “It still is.” Taking it, I held it out to Jol, and showed him how to open it. “This is a type of dessert, it’s called a candy bar.”

Jol’s eyes widened and he took it, popping the entire thing in his mouth. His eyes grew the widest I had ever seen them as he chewed it and swallowed. “That’s delicious!” he exclaimed.

“When we come to our peace agreement, and you come visit my world, I’ll take you to try all the best desserts and foods we have.”

“You are a good friend,” he said with a nod. His eyes narrowed and he said, “Unlike the Grand Advisor, who I had thought was my friend.”

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